


Resurrection

by orphan_account



Category: Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Smut, Human!Edward Cullen, M/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-15
Updated: 2016-12-16
Packaged: 2018-08-31 02:37:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8560090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Edward wakes up human one day, and wants to start a new life outside of Forks. With possible Volturi intervention and no one else to turn to, Edward asks for the help of Jacob Black. Told in a series of connected one-shots, vignettes and drabbles.





	1. Chapter 1

Edward Cullen woke up. That was a problem, because vampires don’t sleep. And coming into the realm of consciousness, Edward realized he was in a great amount of pain. It felt like (what he imagined) pins and needles being shoved into every inch of his skin. But that shouldn’t be possible. His skin was supposed to be impenetrable.

He opened his eyes. At least he tried to, but it was still so dark. Were his eyelids not open?  
Next was the pressure in his chest. It was building, burning - and he had the strange urge to open his mouth. When he did, his body automatically took air into his lungs, and his chest expanded in an ancient sort of relief. It felt like a memory...the need for air. There was a roaring in his ears and he could hear nothing else.

Edward was panicking now, not able to make sense of what was happening inside his own body. The corpse he usually was...it had changed. And he was in so,  _so_ much pain. Not only were his limbs stiff and resisting his command to move, there was a screaming source of stinging pressure where his neck met his left shoulder.

He slowly willed his hand to move up to the wound and forced his fingers to press against the skin. It was so much softer than usual, and when he turned to look at his hand, he was shocked. What little he could see of the limb - blurry edges and muddled colors - it was red, and dripping. It was wet. He was bleeding.

With conscious effort, he sucked in a breath and made his mouth form the only thing he could think to yell.

“Carlisle!”

His voice sounded far away, even to himself. Edward’s throat ached with the effort of inhaling, but once again he shouted: “Carlisle!”

The sound echoed this time. Edward tried to turn on his side, tried to see where he was through the haze in his eyes. From what he could tell, he was on the forest floor, with the Cullen home in sight. He had been hunting last night, and on the way home...something happened. He couldn’t remember what.

“Edward?” Carlisle’s voice was so quiet the boy almost didn’t hear. He did see the man’s form, though, kneeling beside him suddenly. He choked on a breath and sputtered.

“Carlisle, wh-what’s happening?” Another inhale. “Some-something’s wrong-” Another cough. He fought to move his limbs, and he just barely detected the Doctor’s light touch against his neck and over his heart. He was grateful Carlisle was so accustomed to blood. But how was he bleeding? Had his heart restarted somehow? Impossible. All of this wasn’t possible.

“Can you stand?” Carlisle’s even tone was a small comfort amidst this confusion and agony. Edward pushed himself only to lose balance and fall back down. His adoptive father picked him up in strong arms and Edward groaned at the shift of position.

“Edward, I’m taking you inside, alright?”

He could barely hear over the roaring of his pulse. That’s what that sound was. Blood had been circulating through his long dead body. His thought process was so slow in comparison to what he was accustomed to. It felt like fog was clouding his mind.

Then, Edward felt a rush of wind, and then he was being set down on something soft. Presumably his bed. He could barely make out the sound of shuffling. Carlisle was probably gathering medical supplies, but Edward couldn’t tell. His ear wasn’t finely tuned anymore, his eyes only caught a blur of motion shooting around the room. Now the blond man was back to Edward’s side and he was calmly narrating his actions.

“Edward, I’m going to sanitize your wound now, then bandage it. But first, I need to see if you’ll be needing stitches, alright?” It felt like the doctor was prodding at his flesh with a tool and Edward bit back a scream. “Stitches? Carlisle, how would my skin..? How is this possible?” He whispered.

“I...I’m afraid I don’t know. But I do need to stop the bleeding and clean the area. Otherwise it could get infected.” More quick movement and there was pressure on his shoulder once again. The boy gritted his teeth painfully and couldn’t help but writhe. “Ahhh!”

“This is going to sting.” His father warned. Edward braced himself and tried not to whimper. While he felt quick movements around the source of his pain, he noticed a flickering shadow at the door.

“Carlisle, dear?” It was a high and clear voice. Esme’s face came into view as she entered the room.

“Careful. There’s blood. Not a lot, but please stay back.” The doctor spoke to his wife kindly, but his tone was firm. Edward felt the live thing in his chest beat against his ribs. He struggled to remember to breathe. Beyond that, it was strangely silent.

“Is that - is that Edward?” Esme spoke from behind her hand. It was covering her nose and mouth so she wouldn’t inhale the smell.

“It’s me.” Edward struggled to speak.

“Oh, honey...are you hurt? What happened?” Esme’s hand flew to her chest. She inched closer, trying to get a better view of any damage that had been done. More faces appeared behind her. It seemed the whole Cullen Clan was home.

“Edward? Is that blood?” Rosalie’s voice now, coming in the room behind her mother.

“I don’t understand.” Alice spoke up. “I didn’t see this. I didn’t see anything about...” She trailed off the way she did when her thoughts were for Edward alone to hear. Unfortunately, he couldn’t hear anything but his own screams when Carlisle pressed the needle of a syringe into his skin. It was fast, but the red burn echoed in his neck.

“Did he kill someone?” Rosalie asked bluntly.

“Rose, come on.” Emmett murmured something else but Edward couldn’t make sense of it. He had to strain just to not pass out from the pounding in his head. He felt like couldn’t smell anything - like the whole world could only be experienced through sheets of cotton. And the violent static in his entire body was only lessening to give way to the far more intense sensation of his shoulder feeling as though it was on fire.

“The blood is his.” Carlisle finally said.

Edward closed his eyes and felt himself rock back and forth on the bed. He couldn’t believe it. Any of it.

“What does that mean?” Alice finally piped up.

“It means he’s human.” Carlisle finally said it aloud.

But before any of them had time to process that fact, a loud snarl cut through the room. The smack of vampire bodies grinding against one another followed, and Edward felt the sedative pull him into a tense unconsciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

Edward blinked and opened his eyes. It didn't feel real. Sleeping, waking up, or experiencing the world with such...dimmed senses. Human eyes and ears, and a body so sore. His dreams were dark, and not in his memory’s immediate access. The only thing he knew was that they left him feeling heavy.

He slowly sat up in bed. Stretched out his fragile arms and bones and watch the muscles shift under his pink skin. Skin with blood moving through it.  
He touched the bandages covering his neck and shoulder. He flinched because - of course - they were tender.

A sharp inhale followed and he flinched. Ah, yes, breathing. Edward had to do that now in order to stay alive. And he was alive, somehow. And everything was quiet. His mind raced, on it’s own for once, and a bubble of laughter burst from his lips.

He was experiencing a strange mix of confusion, shock and...elation. He wasn’t the monster he once was - quite literally. He wouldn’t require the blood of anything living to sustain himself.

There was suddenly a knock at his door that broke his train of thought. Carlisle was asking permission to enter the room without saying anything - and Edward was unsure if he attempting to test his telepathic powers or not.

“You can come in.” Edward nodded. The blond man came forward and seated himself at the foot of his bed. Someone must have put blankets over him after he’d fallen asleep yesterday. Sometime after his family had been...fighting? Edward was having trouble recalling any image of when he was last conscious.

“What happened?” He felt the need to clarify. “After I went under, that is.”  
Carlisle looked hesitant to answer. “The scent of blood from a fresh source...it proved to be too much for Jasper. Rosalie and Emmett had to restrain him. He’s elsewhere, for the time being.”

Neither of them knew what to say after that. Of course Edward’s brother couldn’t hold himself back from the smell of food. How had he not predicted that? He should have asked the doctor to bring him to a hospital - anywhere that was not near other vampires. Especially Jasper, being so new to their ‘vegetarian’ diet.

“Edward.” Carlisle spoke up. “I know that you blame yourself. But...there’s nothing else you could have done.” The man was choosing his words carefully. “You should know that what’s happened to you...It’s unprecedented.”

“And what, exactly, _did_ happen? I came back from feeding last night and now…” He gestured to his human form.

“From what I can tell? You were bitten.”

More silence between them. Edward tried to grasp for some semblance of a thought in his blank mind.

“I don't understand.”

“I can't say I do either.” Carlisle pointed at the dressed mark. “But I can tell that you were bitten last night. And not by a werewolf. One of our kind.”

Edward let out a dry laugh. “Are you saying that one vampire biting another will bring them back to life?”

“I don’t think so. If that were the case, vampires would be reversing the process on each other constantly. And after the newborn attacks last year, we most certainly would have known by now.”

“Then what could it be?”

“A vampire with a very dangerous talent. A vampire Alice couldn’t see, and you couldn’t read the mind of.”

That took a while to settle in for Edward. Up until yesterday, he believed he would be spending the remainder of eternity dead. An animated corpse...forever. And now - because of a seemingly random attack from a vampire - he was human again. Uncomfortably so.

There was a pain in his gut, which he quickly realized was a growling stomach. He had a newfound sense of vulnerability with such shaky and breakable limbs. And if Edward was being honest with himself, he was still adjusting to a significant lack of control of his movements and obscured senses.

But there was also quiet. For the first time in almost a century, he could not hear the constant stream of thinking from those around him. He didn’t feel the urge to kill to eat. Though he was hungry. He laughed out loud. Food for humans - he doubted they would have anything of the sort in this house.

“I’m alive, Carlisle.” The smile felt so new and unfamiliar on his face it almost hurt. When was the last time he had been this happy?

“Yes, you are mortal. Again.” Carlisle looked uncomfortable with that fact, and quickly changed the subject. “But Edward, do you remember anything? About this transformation - anything at all?”

Edward had to think about that. He closed his eyes and attempted to sort through the hazy memories of the day before. He had gone into the woods alone after a night of composing. No other thoughts he could hear in the forest that evening, save his own. That was normally a relief, but now proved worrisome. That meant that the person hunting him could have their thoughts shielded from him somehow.

He’d hunted a doe, fed, and then headed back to the Cullen’s home when...something must have hit him. He could barely recall, but something had pulled him from behind. His thoughts were mostly blank after that. Except a voice. A whisper in someone else’s mind. It came back to him in a rush and his eyes flew open. Carlisle was waiting patiently, and Edward made a split-second decision.

“I remember hunting. Then eating. The usual. But when I was coming back to the house, something grabbed me. I may have struggled, but it’s all blank after that.”

“And you didn’t hear anyone coming? No one’s thoughts?” Carlisle looked concerned. Edward swallowed.

“No.” He lied. Neither broke eye contact, and Edward shifted uncomfortably. “I can’t seem to read anyone’s mind any longer.”

“Oh.” The doctor couldn’t hide his surprise. “I see.”

“A side effect of being human, I suppose.”

Before the men could think of what to say next, there was another knock at his door. Edward had to focus on the far away figure in order to make out the caramel hair and kind golden eyes of his adoptive mother.

“Good morning, Edward. Breakfast is ready for you.”


	3. Chapter 3

Edward’s clumsy fingers had to become accustomed to using a fork and knife. Esme had cooked a fresh vegetable omelette with toast, and was now asking him to choose a drink based on a wide selection of expensive beverages she’d bought just that morning. Chewing slowly and surveying his options, he found himself overwhelmed. The taste of something that wasn’t blood filled him with relief. He wanted more, and started to eat at a quicker pace.

“It’s good then?” Esme asked with a chuckle.

“Yes,” Edward responded after finishing a mouthful. “You didn’t have to do all this, Esme.”

“It was my pleasure. Did you want anything else?”

“Um, water, I think.” He laughed at himself. “I’m not quite sure what humans are supposed to drink.” Edward watched Esme’s pleased expression falter a bit as she went to fill a glass at the faucet. “Soda water would be perfect.” He corrected himself politely. His mother perked up at that and poured him Perrier from a glass bottle. When he took a sip, the bubbles popped against his tongue and he almost choked in alarm. He managed to swallow the carbonated water and smile gratefully at Esme instead.

“Where has everyone gone? It’s still a weekend, isn’t it?”

The Cullen’s were all still technically enrolled in school. They were attending a university not too far from Forks. That way, the family would be able to maintain their alliance with the Quileute wolf pack. It served as a means to protect the area as both groups were still on edge after last years incident with Victoria’s newborn army.

“They’ve gone out for a little. Shopping in town.” Carlisle replied. “How are you feeling, by the way?” The doctor was trying to divert attention from the newborn. Edward wasn’t fooled.

“I feel fine - all things considered. Now, what are we going to be doing about this, Carlisle?”

“Well I would recommend a few days of bedrest, under observation. I would want to make sure the wound won’t be infected -”

“That’s not what I’m referring to.” He said, and Carlisle stiffened.

“How is Jasper supposed to live in the same house as a bleeding human steak?”

“Edward!” Esme gasped in shock.

“I understand your concern.” The blond man nodded. “But I’m sure we can arrange for him to stay elsewhere for the time being.”

“I don’t think it’s fair to ask him to leave because of what’s happened. It’s not his fault.”

“I hope you’re not implying that it’s yours.” Esme glanced at him pointedly while starting to collect the dishes. Edward sucked in a breath of air and held it before deciding to speak again.

“For whatever reason, I’m alive. I’ve been dead for a hundred or so years and now I eat and breathe and am human again. And I want to stay this way. For as long as I can.”

“What are you saying?” Carlisle asked. Esme came to her husband’s side, all thoughts of cleaning forgotten.

“What I’m saying is...I would like to start a new life.” Edward worked up the courage to look his parents in the eyes as he said this. “I want to leave Forks.”

“You wouldn’t be safe. Not like this.” Esme’s voice trembled.

“I don’t know how much safer I would be here. I’ve already been attacked by two vampires within a few hours of each other. And I’m no longer in a position to defend myself.”

“You must know we will do everything possible to keep you out of harm’s way.”

“I know, Esme. However, I don’t think we have as much control over those circumstances as we used to.”

“All the more reason for you to stay!” His mother cried. Carlisle remained oddly quiet.

“Please, hear me out.” Edward waited for both of them to agree. “I’d forgotten how much I craved mortality. And while these circumstances are...troubling, to say the least, I see this as a kind of blessing. Not one I thought myself deserving of...” He looked down, eyebrows pushed together in thought. “I think I’ve been given a second chance.”

“What if something happens and we’re not there to protect you? I would never forgive myself.” Esme broke off in a dry sob. “We’re family.” Edward tentatively reached out to touch his mother’s cold hand while her husband held her closer.

“I know. And that’s why I can’t ask Jasper to leave.” Edward rubbed his thumb over Esme’s knuckles. “Not to mention if the Volturi gets news of this. If they decide to make another visit to Forks and find me in human form, there’s no guarantee they’d keep me alive. I’m human now, and I know too much.”

“That’s not true - they consider you valuable.”

Edward realized she was not aware of the full effects of his change yet. “Only because of my telepathic abilities. And I can’t read minds anymore.” She froze. It was a dreadfully sobering reality to come to terms with.

“I think Edward’s right.” Carlisle finally announced. “As much as I hate the thought of him leaving, we can't force him to stay. If this is what he really wants....” The man trailed off, facing Edward.

“It is.” Edward confirmed. Carlisle nodded.

“Then we support you, son.” He looked to his wife for a reaction. She closed her eyes a moment.

“We love you Edward, you know that.” She gripped his hand a fraction tighter. “Just please tell me you won’t go alone. You need protection.” She was staring at him with a very determined look on her face.

The boy wasn’t sure how to respond, so he paused. His pulse was a bit faster now. This was really happening; he was going to be starting a new human life. Unfortunately, the threat of his old one coming back to bite him still remained. How was he supposed to make those two things coincide?

“I think there’s someone I can call.” He said finally.


	4. Chapter 4

After a couple rounds of explaining his situation to Seth Clearwater over the phone, the young werewolf was thrilled to hear the news.

“That’s great to hear, man! Sounds like what you always wanted! I bet it feels weird, though.” The boy remarked, and Edward laughed. The two boys had met while strategizing and eventually fighting together as a united front against Victoria’s newborn army last year. While the Uley wolf pack and Cullen clan had been reluctant to forge any bond between the groups, it had proved necessary and highly advantageous in the end. Edward had grown fond of Seth and they had become friends. Then, the werewolf had graduated early and gone away college in Vancouver.

“That’s putting it mildly.”

“Have you eaten yet?”

“A bit.”

“Dude, you’ve gotta eat more than a _bit_! Three meals a day, and then some!” Seth’s enthusiasm was infectious, to the point where Edward was starting to smile while packing.

“Anything in particular you recommend?”

“Well to start, always eat dessert first. Standard meals are things like burgers, chicken wings, and - oh! You _gotta_ try steak.” He began listing items off.

“Thanks, Seth but...I actually think I want to hold off on eating anything that was once...living. For a while, at least.” Edward grimaced.

“Right. Of course, man - my bad.” Seth’s tone was apologetic, but he quickly bounced back. “That’s alright, though! Still plenty of great things to try! There’s this diner just off campus that has the world’s best french fries, I swear. And like, 20 different flavours of milkshakes. You should come up to visit.” Seth offered.

“That’s, uh, actually what I wanted to talk to you about.” Edward started awkwardly.

“Yeah? What’s up?”

“Carlisle and Esme are worried. We’re not exactly sure about anything, in terms of why I may have been targeted for this transformation. All we know is that someone attacked, brought me back to life, and may still be in the area.”

“Yeah, that’s pretty unsettling. Another vampire roaming around Forks - one that can take away your powers and everything? Could be dangerous. You want me to get the pack on it?”

“I’m sure Carlisle will be alerting them before long, but it can’t hurt to give them notice.” Edward agreed. “But, as it stands now, I’m leaving town.”

“Oh? OH! You need a place to stay.”

“It’s looking that way. Not that I wouldn’t be able to afford a place of my own, but there is some concern about safety.”

“Yeah, that _totally_ makes sense. You want to get outta dodge but you're still a brand new human. _And_ there might be a bloodsucker on your tail.” Seth winced at his choice of words. “Uh, sorry.”

“It’s fine.”

“Look, I want to help. I’d offer you a place, but I live on campus.”

“Of course.” Edward fought off any feeling of disappointment. “I understand. Small rooms, not enough space for two of us.”

“Ha, it’s not that, at all! I’d be down to share my bed if you needed it. Might be a little uncomfortable with the two of us on a twin mattress, but we could cuddle.”

“Seth, you wouldn’t have to-”

“Nah, it’s all good. What I’m trying to say is that while _I_ would be fine with sharing my dorm room, I can’t say the same for my roommate. It’s _probably_ against policy to have a non-student living here.”

“Oh. I didn’t even know you had a roommate.” Edward was frustrated with himself for not being aware of this in the first place. Why hadn’t he asked about these sorts of things before today? Now that he needed a favor, he was finally willing to contact his friend. Edward felt incredibly guilty all of a sudden.

“I get it, man. It’s been a while since we caught up. All the more reason to hit me up if you decide to come up north.”

“That sounds great.” The human managed to sound optimistic despite his mood.

“But you'll need a place to crash, huh?” Seth added.

“I can figure something else out, don’t worry about it.”

“Are you sure? Because I can think of someone for you to stay with.”

“In Vancouver?”

“No, in Seattle. Jake’s got a place of his own out there.”

“Jacob Black?” Edward remembered the older werewolf being very weary of him the few times they had interacted in years prior. It wasn’t until Jacob had gotten badly injured in the newborn attacks that he had come around to trusting the Cullens. He’d needed medical attention and Edward had brought him to the only doctor that could offer him any supernatural aid.

“Yeah, he’d be happy to help! You and the doc saved his ass before he left town. He owes you one.” The Clearwater boy was convincing, but Edward remained hesitant.

“I don’t know, Seth.”

“Trust me! You’re wasting precious time. I’ll call to fill him in, and you get moving. Got a pen and paper?”

“Just one second.” Edward almost tripped and lost his grip on the phone just from trying to turn around too quickly. This body had much slower response time than what he was accustomed to. “Okay, ready.” Edward said, and Seth gave him the address. They were in the midst of signing off when Edward remembered something.

“Hey...Seth?”

“Huh?”

“You were seeing someone last I checked, right?”

“Yeah, Ashley.” The werewolf confirmed. “That’s imprinting for ya. Can’t get rid of that if I tried.”

“I suppose that’s true.” Edward was at a loss for what to say. “I hope everything’s going well for you.”

“Thanks, man.” Seth laughed, taken off guard.

“No, thank _you_. I really appreciate what you’re doing for me. And I regret...not keeping in touch sooner.”

“Don’t make it weird, man.” The boy chuckled. “Just drop by when you get the chance. I can show you the wild world of _vegetarian_ sushi.”


	5. Chapter 5

Saying goodbye was somehow more painful than Edward had anticipated. Esme and Carlisle were gracious enough to put on brave faces. But when news got to his siblings about his departure, Alice and Jasper were openly upset, though they understood. Emmett had tried to make light of it all, joking that he’d finally be able to beat his brother in a foot race now that he was human. Rose, on the other hand, carried an aura of bitter resentment around with her. It was clear she wanted desperately to be in Edward’s position, to be alive and well with an opportunity to bear children again.

With only a backpack and a duffel bag holding his belongings, Edward approached the bus station alongside his family. The Cullens were saying their farewells to him as if he was a freshman college student leaving home for the first time.

“Be sure to call if anything happens. If you need any more money, medical attention, if anything goes wrong-“ Esme was listing off worst case scenarios, and her son cut her off with a hug.

“You can be there in an hour.” Edward confirmed.

“And your new identification should be ready within the month.” Carlisle said after bringing him into an embrace.  
“Birth certificate, social security number, and...driver’s license?” Edward asked.

“So long as you pass a driver’s test, then yes.”

“I can’t see that being an issue. I know my reflexes aren’t as fast as they once were, but I still consider myself competent.” Edward looked around at the crowd filling onto the shuttle he would be taking out of Forks. He _hoped_ he was more competent than the other humans around him.

“Just a precaution.” His father assured him. “Yet another reason to use public transportation.”

Edward didn’t have to be reminded. At first, he had expected one of the Cullens to drive him to Seattle after it had been settled he may still be too weak from the transformation to drive himself. He was certainly not used to his dulled senses. However, if the vampires wanted to avoid leaving any sort of scent trail to Edward, that meant he had to go alone. It was agreed Carlisle would check in with his son for an appointment in two weeks time, but for now they needed to keep their distance to avoid being tracked. Unfortunately, it also helped that Edward’s scent would be mixed with any and all people he’d be coming in contact with in the next six hours of travel.

“We won’t need to talk for me to check in.” Alice bounced forward and wrapped her arms around her brother. “But I’ll still call.” She smiled up at him and Edward returned it with a lopsided grin. He held her briefly. “I look forward to that.”

Emmett brought him into a bear hug and, after making the rounds with his family members, he started to reluctantly move towards the crowd.

“I suppose I should be going now.” Edward stated uneasily.

“We love you, son. We’ll visit as soon as it’s safe.” Esme assured him.

He was unsure how to respond, so he simply said: “Thank you.”

Edward had begun walking out of the parking lot, his ears finally picking up on the noise of other people and moving busses, when Carlisle called out to him.

“Edward, hold on.” The human turned and the doctor was already right behind him.

“What is it?” He asked quietly. With his father this close, it was apparent even with human sight there was no resemblance between them any longer.

Edward couldn't help but dwell on the fact that he looked so much different from the rest of his family now. He’d caught glimpses of himself passing in mirrors and at the sink of the bathroom. The change was so apparent. His skin was peachy-pink, mouth and cheeks more flushed than he had ever remembered, and his iris’ were a ring of unfamiliar green. Over a hundred year since he’d looked like this. He was thankful to be alive again, but that didn’t prevent the sense of alienation to both humans and vampires he had now.

“I just wanted to talk to you briefly about...the future.”

“That’s usually Alice’s area of expertise, isn’t it?” Edward said lightly.

“Yes, I suppose so.” Carlisle admitted. “Regardless, I think there’s a possibility worth noting we haven’t discussed yet.”

“If this is about safety, I do trust Seth. And, by extension, Jacob Black.”

“You are most definitely not a mind reader any longer.” Carlisle smirked for a moment, but his somber expression returned. “I wanted to ask...if you were sure about living in this state.”

“What other option is there?” Edward stiffened.

“I think you know what I’m proposing.”

“That’s hardly a choice at all. If I’m meant to decide between life and death, I’m choosing to stay alive.”

“A very _fragile_ , and mortal life.”

“What other kind exists?” Edward challenged. Carlisle released a sigh before replying.

“I know. I know this is what you want. I’m only having trouble coming to terms with it.” The doctor put a hand to the brunet’s shoulder and looked at him intensely. “You’re my first son. And while you’ve gone off on your own before, I’ve never had to worry about your safety like this until now.”

“I understand.” Edward nodded. “But this is the only option. There’s no guarantee I’ll be given an opportunity like this again.”

“Of course.” Carlisle eventually agreed. Edward felt a rise of emotion in his chest he couldn’t name. A type of pain and longing to give something he was unable provide.

He couldn't assure Carlisle he’d be alright. He couldn't even promise he’d be alive long enough to see them again. Perhaps that was supposed to be terrifying, but the human was too overwhelmed with a sense opportunity. Edward had been given a chance at rebirth, and while he would miss his family, he would rather risk real death than be in the body of an animated corpse for another day.

“Carlisle, I owe you so much. You’ve given me everything I’ve needed and more.” He breathed in, lungs expanding. “I can never truly thank you enough for that. I’ll miss you all. But we’ll see each other again - I promise.” Edward initiated a final embrace between them. “Thank you, father.” There was a pang in his chest as he said that. Carlisle held him in his cold arms for a moment before releasing him. Edward saw a red dot form in Carlisle’s tear duct, and felt his own eyes burn with tears as well.

“Good luck, son.” The blond man said. 

Edward kept his head down while dropping off his luggage at the vehicle’s door. Once he was seated in the back, he noticed it was louder than expected. There were some droning voices and some fast chatter. Overall, too much for Edward to hone in on individual voices from the passengers around him, so he brought out his book to focus on instead.

When the bus roared to life, he looked up to see his family filing into their cars to leave. It was then he saw the reflections of a few people around him, and what he saw had his heart racing. He glanced at the couple across the aisle from him to be sure. His stomach sunk in dread. No one’s mouths were moving. The noise he was hearing was coming from their minds.


	6. Chapter 6

The bus ride was long, and grueling, and tested every ounce of Edward’s patience. The realization that he was only able to read the minds of other humans had him on edge. He was essentially powerless to interfere in the lives of other people, so hearing anyone's inner dialogue had him wishing more than ever there was a way to block it all out. He tried to sleep, and when that failed, he settled for eating some of the food Esme had packed for him. By the time he had made it the Seattle stop, he found his eyelids heavy and his feet sore. How was his body already tired when he had just woken up that morning? Mortals were so frail.

He collected his luggage and attempted to navigate the city streets, but eventually gave in to calling a taxi. The cloud of noise in his head was becoming more tolerable, however, it still came as a surprise to see images of himself in his cab driver’s mind. Specifically, images of what the man imagined Edward would look like underneath his clothes. Well...Edward had seen worse. Both in the minds of others, as well as in his own personal experience. By the time they arrived, he couldn’t bring himself to look the cabbie in the eye as he handed over the cash.

The place he was dropped off was an apartment building, so Edward searched his pocket for the scrap of paper with the exact address on it. It was bothersome he couldn’t visualize it from memory - but his mind wasn’t what it used to be. A shame he had to say that at the age of seventeen.

He expected the front door to the building would require buzzing in or some sort of key, but it was left unlocked. Walking up the stairs, double and triple checking the apartment number, he tried to grasp for something he could say to make the situation a less uncomfortable. So far, nothing was coming to him.

When he arrived, Edward decided to try the doorknob and see if it was open already. It was. Perhaps Jacob had left it that way because Seth contacted him in advance. But Edward had no way of predicting what would happen next. He slowly opened the door, set down his bags and a deep voice called out: “Don’t move. Or else I shoot.”

Edward put his hands up, though he couldn’t see anything in the dark room. At least he recognized the speaker as Jacob Black - a small source of comfort to his hammering heartbeat.

“I know you think I’m bulletproof - but please don’t shoot me.”

“What the f-” The werewolf started to speak but cut himself off once he flicked the lights on and caught sight of Edward. To the human’s relief, Jacob did not have a gun on him - or a shirt for that matter. It was less of a relief to read the boy’s expression as shocked. There was a long and awkward silence where a mix of emotions passed over Jacob’s face. Edward didn’t know what to say, so he blurted out: “You look surprised.”

Jacob’s brows came together, as he was clearly frustrated with that statement.

“Of course I’m surprised. A vampire that’s apparently not a vampire just broke into my apartment.” He growled.

“Seth didn’t tell you.” Edward realized.

“Tell me what? That I’d be getting a visit from a resurrected bloodsucker? Must have slipped his mind.”

“I can explain...sort of.” Edward took his hand down from the surrendering position and looked down at his bags. He’d have to look at hotel options, then. “Could I come in?”

“Well, you clearly don’t need an invitation.” Jacob gestured to him, and moved to seat himself on his living room couch. Edward felt a pang of guilt, understanding he was intensely unwelcome.

“I can leave - I’m sorry to have intruded.”

“No, no.” Jacob crossed his arms. “I want to hear an explanation for this.”

Edward shut the door behind him and slowly approached the werewolf. He wasn’t making any move to stop the human from sitting across from him, but Edward couldn’t read his mind, either. That was unnerving. It must have been because Jacob Black wasn’t exactly human, so Edward was left to guess his mood based on body language. He wasn’t tense, probably because Edward no longer posed any threat. He was just waiting expectantly.

The former vampire launched into an abridged explanation of the past 24 hours and Jacob nodded along occasionally. He mostly seemed in disbelief of it all. Edward couldn’t blame him. When he reached the end of his story, Jacob was silent. It was clear he was taking time to absorb the full weight of this situation. After a minute or so, he finally spoke up.

"So you came to me, specifically,” Jacob enunciated slowly. “Because you need a bodyguard?" Edwards mouth pressed into a thin line while the boy smiled cockily. While leaning back, he said: "Admit it. You need my help." It was infuriating to hear the smugness in werewolf’s tone. He was right, though. The human hadn’t revealed this yet, but he had reason to believe someone had turned him for a very specific purpose. He had lied to Carlisle when he’d said there were no thoughts to hear before his attack. And now, if he wanted to keep his attacker away from his family, this was his only option.

"Yes." Edward gritted out. “I need your help.” A beat passed.

"I'll do it. On one condition."

"And what would that be?"

"You have to be my slave. You work for me now."

"You can't legitimately believe I would-"

"Relax - nothing too demeaning. Just the basics. I could use a hand cooking and cleaning around here. If you do that, you've got yourself-"

"A guard dog." Edward smirked.

"Don’t push it, leech."

"I thought it was clear I’m not what you’d call a ‘leech’ any longer."

"We'll see about that."

The words hung heavy between them. Edward knew Jacob wasn't implying he was a literal bloodsucker any longer. Just a mooch. He didn't know which brought him more shame.

“For future reference, I’m guessing you’re not actually in position of a firearm?” Edward asked. Jacob chuckled darkly. “It sounds more realistic than: ‘I’ll turn into a wolf and rip your throat out.’” He explained, then went to his hall closet. He returned with a few blankets and a pillow, tossing them onto the sofa.

“You can crash on the couch for the month.”

“I appreciate that. And I’d like to pay your rent for the month, in exchange.” Edward offered. Jacob paused and looked back at him, as he was already headed into his room. Edward couldn’t make out the details of his face - as his human sight hindered him - but he assumed it was a stubborn expression based on the tone of his voice.

“I don’t need any handouts, Cullen. As long as you keep the place clean and cook the food, we’re square.” He closed his door before there was time for any rebuttal. _Well_ , Edward thought, _this is going to be an interesting arrangement_.


	7. Chapter 7

Jacob was in a world of unfamiliar territory. It had been a normal day where he followed the routine he had set for himself on schooldays. Get up early, eat, run, shower, go to class, work on his assignments for a couple hours (maybe lift weights if any of his teachers or classmates had particularly pissed him off that day), pick up dinner and go back to bed. Realistically, washing dishes and or doing laundry should have been on that list - so it wasn’t a perfect system. But it worked for Jake, and it was enough to get him through the week until he could hang out with his few friends from school. Maybe he would even have a few beers on the weekend to unwind.

But heading to bed, only to have a stranger - a human stranger, from what he could smell - break into his apartment, was not part of the plan. So imagine Jake’s surprise when he recognized that stranger's voice but not his scent. When he turned on the lights and saw a living and breathing Edward Cullen.

Above all, though, Jacob was not prepared to feel this intense pull towards said human. When he saw him, illuminated in the doorway, it was like it was for first time. Edward could no longer stand perfectly still, so he fidgeted a bit. He had pale peach skin that was flushed due to a spiking heart rate, and a pink mouth that twitched into a nervous frown. And his eyes...they weren’t pits of black or a glowing yellow anymore - they were an earthy green. As soon as their eyes made contact, the werewolf felt sucked in. Unable to focus on anything else. So much of what Jacob believed to be possible fell away in that moment.

He gathered his composure eventually. After dredging up memories of the vampires sickly sweet scent and Jake’s intense aversion to the bloodsuckers from his past, he managed to push through the conversation with the normal amount of snide remarks and assertion of dominance. And now, he was sitting on his bed, hyper aware he had just agreed to let a resurrected corpse stay in his apartment. And to protect him. Jake had moved out of Forks to get away from all things dangerous and supernatural. Yet he had felt compelled to agree to anything Edward may ask of him. He may have postured for pride’s sake, but Jake would be lying if he said he wasn’t shaken by it all.

He laid down and tried to sleep, but only tuned into the sound of Edward’s even inhale and exhale. At one point in the night, he hears the human’s feet shuffle to the bathroom where he makes a call and speaks in a low, rumbling tone. Jacob had to restrain himself from eavesdropping. The idea struck him then, that there’s someone he could call at a time like this.

The phone rang for a minute or so - long enough Jake realized it was awfully late it was to phone someone on a weeknight - before the person on the other line picked up.

“Hello?” Seth answered, sounding tired.

“Hey, Seth. It’s Jake.”

“Oh, hey! What’s up, man?” The younger werewolf tried to muffle a yawn.

“Sorry about the late night call. I, uh, have a question. A couple, actually.”

“Sure, man - shoot.”

“You’ve imprinted, right?”

“Uh-huh…” Seth sounded suspicious. Jake’s chest started to feel tighter, heartbeat growing louder in his ears.

“How do you...what was that like? How do you know...when it happens?”

“Why do you ask?”

“No reason. I was just wondering. For...future reference.”

“Jake, did something happen?”

“No.”

“Did you meet someone?”

“Maybe.”

“Is it anyone I know?”

“Seth -”

“Anyone from Forks?”

“Look, it might not be -”

“Someone who’s normally pale? With a very specific diet? Not too fond of direct sunlight?”

“...That’s not exactly a problem now.”

“I knew it!” Seth cried triumphantly. “You two always had mad sexual tension! I knew all that macho, alpha man competition was just hiding a boiling attraction under the surface. And not subtly, by the way.”

Jacob sighed loudly, letting his frustration be known.

“It doesn’t make any sense.”

“Cullen coming back to life? I know, it’s unreal. But kinda cool, right?”

“That’s not what I’m talking about. I’ve seen the guy before, why would I imprint now?”

“We can only imprint on humans, Jake. And that’s what he is now.” Seth pointed out. Jake remains silent, processing it all.

He’d known he wasn’t straight for a while now. He considered himself bi, though he didn’t advertise it. An antisocial, fucked up werewolf too busy and pessimistic for dating, but his attraction to more than one gender wasn’t something he could deny. This, however, was not someone he expected to be drawn to in a hundred years. How was this happening?

“I thought we were supposed to imprint on someone to help carry on the line, or some shit. A person that would help there werewolf gene get passed on.”

“With the miracles of modern science, Jake, that is possible. Surrogates and whatnot.” Seth laughed and Jacob growled.

“But this has never happened before! No one in the pack has ever imprinted on another guy.” Jacob waited for a response, but Seth wasn’t saying anything.

“Seth?”

“I have.” He replied in a quiet voice.

“What?” Jacob was stunned, and hurt in a way that made him angry.

Some of the other members of the pack weren’t the most open-minded, in terms of orientation. They liked to pretend as if Jacob’s attraction to men wasn’t there at all, and that he would ‘pick a side’ eventually. It was implied that side would be straight.

But Seth was the only person Jacob had felt comfortable talking about his sexuality with, and had willingly come out to. The fact that Seth may have been the closet this entire time and not shared it with Jacob was upsetting. Maybe he didn’t have the right to be mad. But all he could think about was that Seth had lied about his imprinting to everyone. Including Jacob.

“So you lied to me? About Ashley?” Jacob tried to calm himself down. “You’re seeing a guy?”

“I didn’t lie, Jake. Ashley _is_ his name. But you know how things are back home - I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it.”

“Seth you could have told me. Before you left - you already knew about me. Did you really think I wouldn’t accept you?”

“Jake, what was there to accept?” Seth chuckled. “ _I_ didn’t even know. I had crushes on girls here and there, but nothing like this.” He paused. “You asked what it was like to imprint. When you _know_ . And you’ve already seen it through some of the other guy’s eyes, but all I can say is that there’s...a shift. A shift in priorities, a shift in feelings. Everything is different. You want to protect them with every fibre of your being. And when they feel the same way about you...it’s _everything_.”

“Okay, Seth. Thanks.” Jake closed his eyes and breathed, taking in what his friend had told him. Then he sat up on the bed. “Oh, and one more thing. I would have appreciated a heads up about my new roommate.”

“What? Oh - dude I meant to call you! That’s my bad. But hey -” Seth broke off laughing. “It all worked out for the best, didn’t it?”

“Don’t get your hopes up. He’s only staying here a month.”

“With a charmer like you? I’m sure he’ll be head over heels within the week.”

“Seth, I’m not even sure-”

“Yes you are.”

“Go to bed, Seth. Tell Ashley I say hi.” Jacob said dismissively.

“You two should come up for a double date.”

“Goodnight, Seth.”

“Alright, alright. I love you, man.”

“Love you, too, bro.” Jacob couldn’t help but grin once he hung up. This was going to mean a serious change in his routine.


	8. Chapter 8

Jacob was becoming restless. It was getting late, and Edward still hadn’t shown up to make dinner. Which was fine - Jake had already eaten turkey leftovers from the night before to calm his nerves. He just couldn’t help but worry. He went to perch on the fire escape that faced the street so he could wait for the man to come home. He tried to convince himself he didn’t care what Edward was up to this late at night - and failed to stop running worst case scenarios through his mind.

Eventually, though, he caught sight of a hooded male figure making his way towards the apartment building. He didn’t need to smell him to know it was Edward. He breathed a sigh of relief and was preparing to duck back inside, as not to be seen, when he caught sight of a shadow. Another man approached the former vampire and was standing far too close for comfort. Jake had to strain to hear their voices, but could barely make out the muffled words of the stranger:

“Gimme your wallet. And phone. Now!”

“...I don’t think so.” Was Edward’s quick retort.

“Idiot.” Jake gritted through his teeth and started barrelling down the stairs. There were more voices, but Jake’s blood was racing through his body so fast, roaring in his ears, he couldn’t make out the exact sounds. He was seeing red, his heart hammering, and instinct had his feet moving at top speed. His thoughts consisted of: _Danger_ . _Protect. Attack._

The two were struggling now, sounds of skin against skin and Jacob was almost across the street when he caught the scent of blood. Edward’s blood. His pulse stuttered and he felt a dark feeling expand in his chest.

He lunged, somehow still in human form, but growling. He caught the attacker by the back of his winter jacket and pulled him to the ground only to end up over top of him. He saw it was a scruffy looking white dude and Jake pulled back to land the first blow to his face. The man’s left hand scrambled to reach for something on the damp pavement. Jake caught sight if the man’s pocket knife. No blood on it. Jacob relaxed only a fraction while pinning the man’s arms down.

“Edward.” Jacob called out in a low voice. He heard a shuffle from behind him.

“I’m fine.” Edward coughed out unconvincingly.

“Got your wallet?” Jake asked.

“Yes.”

“Good.” Jacob picked up the knife with his free hand while the man wriggled underneath him. “Hope it was worth it.”

“Please! Please let me go, man!” The thief's eyes widened once he saw the weapon in Jacob’s hand. “I wasn’t gonna hurt nobody!”

“Sure you weren’t.” Jake stood up and backed up in Edward’s direction. “Get out of here.” He was gritting his teeth the entire time, but exercising an incredible amount of restraint.

The man needed no more prompting to scramble to his feet.

Jake finally trained his gaze on an embarrassed looking Edward. He was hunched over, one hand on his knee and the other on his stomach. To be quite honest, he looked like he was going to be sick.

“Let’s get inside.” Jake pointed with the hilt of the knife to the bleeding cut above Edward’s eye. “I’ll fix that up.”

The pale man nodded with a stony expression and picked up his belongings before following.

* * *

Edward stood awkwardly at the doorway while Jacob headed straight for his bathroom to gather medical supplies. By the time he came back the man was still shifting from foot to foot, a bag of groceries in his hand.

“You’re bleeding all over my carpet.” Jake said stupidly. Edward looked up and put his fingers to the dripping crimson from his forehead.

“Oh, I-I’m sorry.” Putting aside the groceries, he approached Jake with his mouth in a firm line. Jacob directed him to the couch and noticed when he did so that Edward’s hands were trembling.

He went to work cutting the gauze and sopping up the blood with the facecloth. He could hear Edward’s heartbeat like it was plugged into a speaker. He was shaken up, and Jake understood - especially considering he was riding his own wave of adrenaline. But he tried to think of something comforting to say. Edward spoke first.

“I hadn't realized I was...hurt. Like this.” He gestured to his head.

“Reminder that you’re not invincible anymore.” Jacob continued to sanitise the cut. _Great job comforting, Jake._

“I suppose so.” The other man bit his lip.

Jacob tried to hone in on his task, not Edward’s mouth. _You’re not thinking about how close he is_ , the werewolf told himself. _Think about anything else. Say something else._

“What were you doing out this late anyway?”

“I was picking up food.”

“At nine o’clock at night?” Jake asked sceptically, applying the bandage.

“I thought I would also try to procure some wine.”

“What?” Jake couldn't hold back his laugh. “Why did you think that would work? You’re a teenager.”

“I'm over a hundred years old.” Edward snapped quietly.

“That’s not what your ID says.” Jacob put aside the first aid kit and sat back next to the sour looking man.

“I hadn’t thought of that. I thought it would be-” He cut himself off and rose to start organizing the food. “Never mind.” Jacob watched his shaking fingers assemble the vegetables on a brand new cutting board.

“Are you sure you can handle that right now?” Jake was trying to speak neutrally, but it had come out sounding patronizing than intended. He knew that would only infuriate Edward more.

“Thank you for your concern, and while I appreciate what you’ve done for me thus far - I assure you I’m not some defenseless child in need of coddling.”

Jake entered the kitchen at the moment Edward was reaching for the drawer of chef’s knives to start chopping onions. Without thinking, the werewolf’s hand shot out to cover the human’s - halting his movement.

“No, you’re only human.” He spoke softly and hoped that would prevent any perceived condescension.

Edward withdrew his hand and stared back at Jacob. The eye contact lasted longer than most people would be comfortable, but Jake was accustomed to this sort of stand off. His pulse even quickened as a result. Edward eventually relented and backed away from the drawer to lean against the counter.

“I can cook for the night.” Jake said. “May not be fancy enough to go with wine, but I think I can manage.”

Edward cracked a small grin and, without thinking, Jake immediately smirked back and chuckled. He then got to work putting together the ingredients for a stir fry and Edward seated himself on a stool by the counter.

“What were you doing buying booze, anyway? Am I that shitty a person to live with?” Jake jibed while starting the stove.

“No.” Jake could hear the smile in his voice. He felt a swell of pride at that. “I thought it would a nice gesture to give my thanks. For your hospitality.”

“Well, look how that turned out.”

“Yes,” Edward paused. “I’ll clean up the blood, of course.”

“Don’t worry about that right now.” Jake tipped his head in the direction of the living room. “Go rest or something.”

“I’m fine.” Edward repeated firmly. Jake shrugged in response. “And as for what happened when trying to purchase said wine...it appears I don’t have the same amount of sway I once did with humans.”

“What do you mean?” Jacob quirked his eyebrow, even though Edward couldn’t see that. He had his back turned and was starting to fry the vegetables.

“Vampires have a certain degree of...influence over humans. Not because of any sort of psychic abilities.” He clarified. “It’s more a matter of...enhanced beauty - as shallow as that may seem. A sense of predatory power that provokes an urge to submit or obey.”

“Alright,” Jake laughed, thankful he had been immune to such an urge. “Assuming that’s true - it’s not like you suddenly lost your looks.” Jacob couldn’t believe he had said that outloud. He scrambled to cover up his compliment. “And charm was something you never had.”

“How would you know that? I’ve never tried to charm you.” Edward joked, and Jacob’s heart skyrocketed. He focused on the food, and what to say next to distract him from the heat rising to his face.

“Very convincing.” Jake tried to seem detached. “So, what, exactly, has changed that you can’t get a cashier to sell you a bottle of wine?”

“From what I could hear? The clerk was thinking I stare too much.”

Jake froze, back ramrod straight. He hadn’t thought of Edward’s telepathy at all, only assuming since he was now human that the ability would have gone with his vampirism.

“You can still...read minds?” Jake couldn’t help but appear tense.

“Only the minds of other humans, it seems.” Edward replied slowly. “And you’re apparently not part of that category...if you were wondering.”

“I’m plenty human.” Jake was only slightly comforted by this information. He didn’t like to be reminded of one of the many reasons he left Forks.

“Perhaps that’s true - but the fact remains: I can’t hear your thoughts.” Edward explained, the words hanging in the air. The only sound was hot oil popping on the frying pan while Jacob mixed the ingredients.

“Wanna grab some plates? It’s ready now.” Jake finally spoke up.

“Sure.” Edward moved to find utensils, but looked back to the werewolf. “I’m surprised you haven’t added any beef.”

“Why’s that surprising?”

“The recipe usually calls for it.” Edward laid out the dishes for him.

“Well, you don’t eat meat, right?” Jake divvied up their portions and passed him back the plate.

Edward was a bit stunned at that response, so he silently took the meal and sat down next to Jake at the table.

“So,” Jake began, picking up his fork. “Tell me you at least landed one hit on that guy before I had to step in.”


	9. Chapter 9

Edward laid down on the couch, wrapped up in several layers of blankets and still feeling the cold cut through him. The apartment’s heat had gone out a few hours ago, and while Edward had layered himself in blankets - hoping it would eventually kick back in - it didn’t.

So he was left shivering and drifting in and out of consciousness for the majority of the night. In his current dream (something he was still absolutely not used to) he was running away from something in the woods. His legs cramped with unfamiliar stinging, wetness coating his back and underarms. No matter how hard he pushed his human feet to flee from the dashing shadows in his peripheral, he wasn’t fast enough. His lungs wouldn’t expand when he tried to inhale, his breaths getting shorter and shorter. He didn’t hear anything chasing him but his mind was filled with _RUNRUNRUN - ESCAPE._

And just when Edward thought he wouldn’t be able to stay upright any longer, it felt as though a root from the underbrush had shot out and wrapped around his ankle. Edward tumbled to the ground and quickly turned over to see if his attacker was approaching. A pale shape in a long black coat was barrelling towards him. He threw his arms up in meek defense and flinched away with a shout - and then he was awake.

Edward had fallen on the actual freezing floor of Jacob’s living room, twisted around in the sheets. The overhead light flicked on and he looked up to see the werewolf waiting in the hallway.

“What’s going on?” Jake demanded, clearly on edge.

“Nothing.” Edward tried to sort himself, and Jacob did not seem convinced. “I just...I had a nightmare.” Jacob scanned him up and down.

“You cold?” He asked with a smirk.

“Your heater’s broken.”

“Is it?” It was clear he hadn’t noticed. “Sorry, it’s a shitty building. I’ll call the landlord in the morning to get it fixed.”

Edward wasn’t responding, only plucking the sheets off the floor and laying them back down on the sofa. His teeth were audibly chattering, and the sound of his jittery pulse filled Jacob’s head. He had the urge to walk across the room and touch him. Hold him and offer him some sense of safety. Jake held himself back from risking such embarrassment.

“If you need a furnace...you can just stay in my room for the night.” Jake forced himself to sound nonchalant. Edward turned to face the werewolf but he was already walking back down the hall.

“On the floor?” He sounded incredulous.

“If you want.” Jake snorted. “But I have a Queen bed - if you can stand sharing it.” Jake shifted his sheets to the side and waited for a response. He thought he wasn’t going to get one - but then the hall light flickered out and the only thing illuminating the room was Jake’s bedside lamp.

“I’ll manage.” Edward came through the door with a blanket balled up in his hand. Jacob was surprised and stifled any sense of thrill he got from this situation.

“You sleep with the window open?” Edward stared at him in shock after sitting on the foot of the bed.

“Oh, right.” Jake realized this would only worsen the man’s shivering state, so he got up to close the window with his pounding heart practically choking him. When he glanced back at Edward, the human was eying him strangely.

“What?” Jake squirmed under his gaze.

“No quips about how one of us is significantly hotter than the other?” Edward was fighting a smile. While Jacob understood he was making a joke about his body temperature, but the compliment went to his head nonetheless.

“Nice of you to notice.” He slid under his sheets - not that he needed to - and faced away from Edward. After Jacob shut off the light, Edward hesitated, but eventually settled in to his side of the bed. As far away from Jacob as possible, the werewolf noted. He waited a few minutes to say anything, hyperaware of every muscle the man shifted in an attempt to get comfortable.

“You good?” Jake asked. Edward didn’t answer at first. Of course he didn’t; he always chose his words so carefully.

“I’m less...freezing cold, yes. And, thank you.”

“Thank my ancestors for the good genes.” Jacob could hear Edward chortle at that. Another boost to his ego. He attempted to regulate his breath and focus on actually sleeping. But he couldn't ignore the buzzing in his brain - an overwhelming urge to look over every inch of the person lying next to him. Even if just to observe that he was comfortable, as opposed to being dragged back into dark thoughts that had startled him awake in the first place.

He then felt Edward roll over, inching towards the werewolf’s body - probably for the warmth. Jacob indulged himself and, while pretending to adjust his pillow, also pushed closer to the other man.

Jake heard every inhale, and felt every exhale against his back - even with a generous few inches of space between them. He tried not to pay attention, but was pulled in by the calm thrumming of Edward’s heatbeat. Fuck, he wasn’t going to get a second of shut-eye tonight.

Just when he thought Edward was fully unconscious, Jake could hear him turn over, then pulling the sheets to his side of the bed.

“Still cold?” Jacob murmured.

“Mmm.” The sound Edward made sounded like an affirmation, but he clearly was only half-awake.

“Do you want me to move closer?” Jacob risked asking.

“I’ll survive.”

“Sure, you’ll live - but will either of us get any sleep with your teeth chattering all night?”

“My teeth are not-” Edward began groggily, but stopped himself. Jake held his breath.

“Fine. Come here.” His words were monosyllabic, but his tone was neutral enough Jacob didn’t feel as though he was violating Edward’s personal space by putting an arm around his torso. The werewolf also made an effort to slowly angle his hips away from Edward’s backside to avoid any awkward contact.

Still, Jake’s pulse was pounding. There was a tightness throughout his limbs, making his movements stiff. Edward pushed his shoulders against Jacob’s chest and the werewolf couldn’t think. All he could focus on was the smell of pine that lingered at the back of Edward’s neck. It must have been the scent of his soap.

It tempted Jacob to push forward the slightest bit. His mouth drew near the curve of the pale man’s shoulder. He would barely have to move to press a kiss against his skin. But he wouldn’t, not when he was almost entirely certain the former vampire’s feelings towards him consisted of mild contempt. On a good day, that is.

With Jacob’s hand resting close to Edward’s stomach, he could sense it’s slow rise and fall. Somehow, the man had become calm enough to fall asleep. A tingling sensation spread around his chest, which caused Jacob to smile immediately. His imprint had trusted him enough to lie in his bed and sleep in his arms - neck exposed. Whether Edward knew it or not, that was the ultimate form of submission among wolves.

It half amused Jacob to think of Edward bowing to his dominance, but he was more overwhelmed with a feeling of...gratitude. The fact that this man was virtually as close to him as possible, at his most vulnerable, made Jacob feel almost whole. Giddy even. Not that he could express that openly towards Edward. He imagined a lot more work would need to be done to sway Edward’s affections before opening up about the imprint.

Jake was so wrapped up in his thoughts, he didn’t notice the man under him twitch. Suddenly, the werewolf’s hand was being pulled by Edward so that he was pressed entirely against the human’s back, closer than before. He felt the man’s cold fingers intertwine with his own and now his arm was curled around Edward’s upper body, where it had only been draped over his side before.

Jake knew, logically, that Edward’s actions weren’t conscious - it was probably just instinct to hold a source of heat close in his sleepy state. But the not-so-logical part of Jake’s brain felt high due to the contact. It felt right to be keeping Edward close and warm, to feel the human’s fingers in the palm of his hand.

Maybe Jake would be able to rest tonight after all.

 

* * *

Jacob woke up to the sound of a storm outside his window, and a bronze-haired boy breathing docilely under his arm. At first, the werewolf was struck with how calm Edward’s features looked while he was asleep. Jake was accustomed to a forehead scrunched together in thought, or a jaw clenched tightly due to frustration. He wasn’t expecting Edward’s cheeks to be flushed the same colour as his open lips, or a soft sigh to come out every time he breathed. A reckless part of Jake wanted to kiss Edward awake. He wouldn’t, though. He just wanted to...very badly.

Then Jake realized the position they were in; literally. Unless he wanted to deal with the uncomfortable aftermath of explaining why they woke up spooning, he would have to somehow disentangle from the human without jostling him awake.

Jacob delicately released Edward’s hand and started to ease himself up and off the bed. By the time he was rolling on his side so he could stand up, he heard Edward shift under the covers.

“Good morning...” The man’s voice was thick with sleep, making his register lower than usual. If Jacob’s mind wasn’t so preoccupied with panicking, he would have been thinking obsessively about how sexy it made Edward sound. Well, he could multitask.

“Hey.” Was all Jake could come up with. _Real smooth_ , he berated himself while picking out his clothes for the day. “How’d you sleep?” He added.

“Better. I appreciate your help with that.” Again, Edward’s words came off as detached, so Jake couldn’t quite tell what he was referring to. He was stupidly nervous, and fumbled to get a grip on one of the black t-shirts he could wear.

“Don’t mention it. Sorry about the heater - I’ll call the landlord on the way to class.”

“Alright.” Edward shifted into a sitting position and Jake could see his hair was tousled with bedhead. “At least my sense of smell isn’t what it used to be. You don’t smell _quite_ as much like dog anymore.”

A chuckle came out of Jake before he could stop it, so he turned his back to hide his smirk.

“How lucky for you.” Jake joked, and Edward started to pull back the sheets.

”You don’t have to get out of bed - it’ll probably be a couple hours before they’ll get it fixed.” Jacob headed towards his door to get changed in the the bathroom but stopped once he heard Edward say his name.

“Jacob.” His tone was strange. “How did you know...that I was in trouble?” He meant the mugging. Jacob didn’t really have an answer for why he was perched creepily on the fire escape, watching for his roommate to come home. So he lied.

“I was just waiting for my next meal - overheard your dumb ass trying to start a fight.”

“That sounds like impossibly good hearing you have.”

“All the better to save your hide with, my dear.” Jacob rolled his eyes at the big bad wolf pun he had made, and anxiously gripped the door handle.

“And you made it to us within a few seconds flat - even while you were waiting inside?” Edward prodded. Silence was the werewolf’s response. Jacob was tense, weighing his options of continuing to dig himself into this hole or to fess up.

“I never said I was waiting inside.” He finally stated. “I was on the fire escape, okay? Can I go get changed now?”

“By all means.” Jake looked back to see Edward shift awkwardly and avert his gaze. He felt guilt wash over him for snapping at the human, so he paused a moment before leaving to say:

“I’ll see you tonight.” Then went about his day, but the interaction weighed on his mind no matter how he tried to distract himself.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter picks up after shini02's Swan Song vignette, so it does reference plot points there such as 1) Edward is still kind of drunk at this point 2) Jake is dealing with the aftermath of what Edward has just told him about Bella Swan. Okay, enjoy!

The rest of Jacob’s day consisted of keeping himself occupied so he wouldn’t run into Edward around the apartment. He finished his homework in record time, lifted weights, and even resorted to cleaning up the rest of his room so Edward wouldn’t have an excuse to come back inside.

It felt like there was two of Jacob wrestling around inside of him. One filled with boiling anger that came with the reopening of this old wound, and another that wanted so badly to comfort Edward. To say he understood, and that everything had changed since he had become human.

It wasn’t entirely true, and it wasn’t all a lie either. Both feelings existed in opposition to each other, and with an inability to act on either, Jake remained uneasy with inaction until nightfall. Then, there was only thing to do: sleep. With unconsciousness, he wouldn’t have to think about anything at all.

It was a short lived peace. An hour or so into his slumber, Jake woke a split second before the screaming. He hurried out of bed in only his boxers to find the disoriented human had once again tumbled from his makeshift bed onto the floor.

“Are you okay?” The werewolf sighed. He turned on the overhead light and saw the man was shivering. “Why did you leave the window open?” Jake crossed the living room to shut the frame closed while Edward mumbled an apology.

“Trying to air out the smell…” The human was clearly still tipsy. Maybe not drunk, but sleeping off what was sure to be a massive hangover come morning.

“Not much point in coming back to life if you’re just gonna die of hypothermia.” Jake only got a sniff in response. “What happened?” Jake glanced down as Edward gathered up the twisted sheets around him.

“Just another bad dream.” He was trying to be dismissive, but the quavering in his voice made Jake worry.

“Sorry. Just go back to bed. I won’t be an inconvenience to you much longer.” The human wrapped the blankets around himself. “I should be looking for an apartment soon, anyway.”

That put a jolt through Jacob. His first instinct was to think: _“Don’t go. Please stay with me.”_ But he obviously wouldn't say that out loud. Instead he went with something less personal and more blunt.

“Are you gonna freeze out here tonight or you gonna come with me?”

Another sniff before Edward responded. “I don’t...don’t think I can go back to sleep, anyway.” He fumbled for his words.

“I didn’t ask if you wanted to sleep.” Jake paused, trying to sound less frustrated. “I asked if you want to freeze or not.”

“Ha,” The human lazily rolled his head to look back at the werewolf. “Ideally, no.”

“Okay, then.” Jake stepped forward, and lifted Edward into his arms.

“I’m sorry, Jacob. I can’t imagine why you’re being so nice to me.” The human chuckled and rested his head on Jake’s shoulder. The werewolf involuntarily got a thrill from the contact, but tried to shove any emotion back down. _Just keep the human alive, don’t start thinking about feelings_.

“If you say sorry one more time, I swear I’ll drop you.”

“I-” Edward protested, but Jacob continued carrying him down the hall to his bed.

“And I don’t want to hear any crap about how you would deserve it.” Jacob placed Edward down and started to draw aside the sheets for himself. “Do you need a bucket?”

“No, I don’t think-” The human shifted on top of the covers, and there was a change in his tone. “Actually, that might not be a bad idea.”

Jake left the room and returned after shutting off the living room lights, and finding a garbage can.

“You gonna be okay?” Jake flicked off his own bedroom lights to get settled on his side of the bed.

“Don’t worry about me. Thank you.” Edward dismissed, but Jake was tempted to keep doting on him. He held back, though.

“Alright. If you need extra heat, I won’t be going anywhere.” He slid into the sheets next to the human. It was a few minutes before Edward spoke again.

“Why are you doing all of this for me?” He inquired in a small voice. Jake waited a beat before turning over and looking over at Edward. The moon filtered through enough light he could only make out the outline of the man’s features, and that suited Jake just fine.

“I don’t have a choice. We had a deal.” He huffed in mock exhaustion. “You won’t make a very good housekeeper if you can’t stay upright tomorrow.”

“Right.” It didn’t sound like he was done talking, just that he couldn’t think of what to say next.

Then Jake could feel Edward start to gather the sheets up to his side of the bed. “Here, take my blanket.”

When the werewolf moved to drape it over the human, Edward reached out to grab his arm.

“...Yes?” Jake watched as Edward withdrew his hand, also seeming confused by his actions. The guy was definitely out of it.

“You’re warm.” Was his only response.

“What was that line? Some guys are hotter than others.” Jake didn’t yet move from the spot, only an inch or so behind Edward.

“Yes, you are.” The human laughed in earnest. Jacob felt something a little too close to hope stir inside him, but he focus his mind elsewhere.

“Are you going to be able to sleep?”

“Not with the dreams I’ve been having.” Edward admitted, rubbing something from his eye. “It feels like I haven’t slept in ages.”

“Stay awake, then.” More silence between them.

“Is there anything to get up to this time of night?”

“I can think of a few things that could keep you occupied.” So much for keeping his mind elsewhere.

“Don’t tempt me.” The human replied. Jake could hear the smile in Edward’s voice and it knocked the air from his chest. He had only been half joking - but the way Edward had responded...was he just messing with him? Or did Jacob have a reason to get his hopes up?

Jake couldn’t bear to leave his spot right beside the man, but it hurt almost as much to resist reaching out and touching him.

“You smell nice. Did you know that?” God this man was going to kill him.

“I thought I smelled like a dog.” Jake joked.

“Well, I suppose I’ve learned to like it.”

“So I’m an acquired taste, huh?”

“I wouldn’t have a way to know what you taste like.” They both endured a pregnant pause after that.

“I’m sorry, I’ll stop talking.” The man shifted away, but Jake couldn’t resist the urge to move with him.

“I don’t want you to stop.” He put an arm around Edward’s torso and hold him close. The human’s fingers brushed against his, and he barely heard him whisper: “I don’t know what to say.”

The words Jake had been waiting to say were creeping up his throat. It had been a long and complicated day, and while Jacob’s feelings weren’t going to make things less complicated, he couldn’t hold back a moment longer.

“Edward, I want you to know...I don’t hate you for what you told me today.” He struggled to breathe. The human had gone rigid underneath him. “I know you’re not a monster. I know you don’t want to hurt anyone. And that you hate yourself for what happened, but I know what it’s like to have a something inside you can’t control. So...I forgive you.”

“H-How?” Edward choked out, then shook his head as if in a daze. Jake didn’t stop holding him.

“I...I can’t help it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Edward, I imprinted on you.” His voice shook. “It happened the day you came here. As a human.”

“Oh.” The silence did nothing for Jake’s nerves. He was practically shaking, but he listened for Edward’s breathing to ground him. The fear of rejection was irrational. When you imprinted with someone, that was the person you were supposed to be with forever. They were in your life for the rest of your life - so why would his imprinting be any different than all those before him? But the terror remained in his chest. Finally, Edward said something.

“The last time we were like this...when you held me,” The human twisted to look back at the werewolf then rested on his back. “I thought you were going to and kiss me.”

“Did you want me to?” Jake’s thoughts were running so quickly he was surprised he could form a sentence.

“I think I would have liked that...yes.” They both drew closer.

“And now?” Jake hovered over his face.

Edward seemed a bit beyond words at this point, so he only nodded and grabbed Jake by the front of his shirt. Jake was brought down, breathing just inch from Edward’s mouth. His pulse was hammering and he felt frantic to grasp every part of the man lying beneath him. Then the human lifted himself up until they were kissing.

Jake immediately groaned in relief and reached to touch Edward’s jaw, kissing him back lightly. The human grabbed for Jacob’s hair and pressed his lips back with surprising enthusiasm. It was hard for the werewolf to focus on anything but Edward’s soft, wet lips and trembling breath.

He pulled back after a moment of adrenaline and saw the man looked dazed, but eager. He went in for one more peck, even though Edward chased after his mouth for more, and shifted back to his position as big spoon.

“We should...sleep. Or rest. Or something.” Jake said. The man in his arms nodded.

“O-okay.”

“We’ll talk about things...later.”

  
“Alright.” Edward put his hand around Jake’s. “Goodnight, Jacob.”


End file.
